Water-wheel.



B.. D. KELLY.

WATER WHEEL.

APPLIOATIoNHLBD 111211.19, 1911.

1,017,002, Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

WITNESS S INVENTOR Frchz j @fm we, m7,.

m Attorney COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH' C0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

RICHARD D. KELLY, OF THE DALLES, OREGON.

WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led Aprii 19, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 621,990.

To all who/met may concern.'

Pie it known that I, Bronnen l). KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at r1`he Dalles, in the county of Tasco and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TWater-VheelS, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in water wheels and has for its object to provide a. wheel which may be installed in the bed of a stream and which may be operated by the current thereof.

A further object is to provide such a wheel which will receive the force of the current simultaneously against its opposite sides, operating in the same direction about its axis, thereby distributing the strain upon the wheel by balancing the force applied upon one side against that applied upon the other, and at the same time relieving the base structure from such strain.

I accomplish these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved wheel. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line .cc-a2 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of -reference indicate similar parts in each of the views.

In the drawing 1 represents a shaft mounted in a concrete base or other suitable structure, and provided with a bevel gear 13 meshing with a similar gear 14, on the transmission rod 15.

Upon the shaft l is placed the sleeve or extended hub 12, provided with terminal flanges 1G, to which are secured the radiating arms 10, by means of bolts 17. The flanges each carry the same number of arms and a rim 11 is formed at the outer ends thereof, at cach end of the wheel, holding them at equal distances apart, so that one arm at each end will be opposed by one at the other. To each rim, between the endarms, at 2 is pivotally secured a bracket 18, and thereto is fixed the blades 2, 3, 4 etc. These blades are all free to swing between their respective arms and are of a width which permits the free edges to clear the outer arms as the blades swing against the rim. W hen the blade swings back to its initial position, against the other arm, the bracket, which is bent at an angle, is so positioned that the outer edge of the blade comes against the rim 11, while the side thereof will lie against the arms.

To each pair of arms, as referred to the opposing rims 11, are secured, in a similar manner, brackets 19, upon the pivots 9. Upon these brackets are fixed blades a, b, c etc. the outer edges of which are made to lit neatly against the free edges of their corresponding exterior blades, when all are in their initial position.

In Fig. 1 the descending side of the wheel shows the blades in what may be termed their initial position, and the horizontal arrows indicate the direction of the current. It will be seen that force will be exerted against the blades immediately after they pass the horizontal position, which will continue until they approach that position at the opposite side.

lVhen the wheel shall have turned suliiciently for the water to engage the free edge of the inner blade, that blade will immediately swing downward and outward, carrying with it the outer blade, to the position clearly illustrated in Eig. 1. Here the exterior wing stands with 'its side to the rim, while the inner blade is inclined downwardly and outwardly against the side of the outer blade, so as to obstruct the current and cause an upward force at that side of the wheel. The force of the current is, therefore, directed against the lower side of the blades in the ascending portion of the wheel, while it is applied against the opposite side thereof, in the descending portion. This will be true in cases where the water approaches the median point of the wheel, and will continue until those blades reach a horizontal position, at the upper portion.

Tt is apparent that the force applied against the blades in the ascending portion of the wheel will counterbalance a large part of that exerted against the descending portion, thereby greatly reducing the strain upon the wheel and the supporting base, and greatly increasing the power transmitted through the shaft 15.

This wheel is adapted to use in shallow water, but will work equally well in deep water and may be completely submerged.

Having described my invention, what I claim is .1. A water wheel comprising an extended hub having a series of arms radiating from each end, the arms of the one end being paired against those of the other, a rim secured upon the ends of each series of arms whereby the latter are maintained at equal distances apart, a blade adaptedto lie upon each pair of arms, and blade holders having a shank bent at an angle and pivotally secured to the rim at a point intermediate of said arms, wherebw7 the outer edges of said blades will lie against the rim in the descending portion ot the wheel and the free edges will swing outwardly against the Vini. at the adjacent arm, in the ascending portion.

2. The combination in a water wheel coniprising an extended hub having a series of arms radiating from each end, the arms of one end being paired against those of the other, a rim secured upon the ends ot' each series of arms whereby the latter are maintained at equal distances apart, a blade adapted to lie upon each pair of arms, bladc holders each having a shank bent at an angle and pivotally secured to the rim at a point intermediate of said arms whereby the outer edge of said blades will lie against the rim in the descending portion of the wheel. and the free edges will swing outwardly against the rims at the adjacent arms, in the ascending portion, and a blade pivotally secured to each pair of arms and bearing thereupon in the descending portion of the wheel with its outer edge resting against the free edge of the outer blade and adapted to swing outwardly so that the itree edge will bear at an angle against the side of the outer blade in the ascending portion of the wheel.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD D'. KELLY. lVitnesses z EDWIN E. HECKBERT, E. BERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioneriof Patents. Washington, D. C." 

